Cloth steaming and folding apparatus.



M. J. MOSS.

CLOTH STEAMING AND FOLDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1917.

Patented. Nov. 20, 191?.

3 SHEETS-$HEET l- M J. MOSS. CLOTH STEAMING AND FOLDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. I911- Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- M. J. MOSS.

CLOTH STEAMING AND FOLDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FI'LED MAR. 20. 1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3;

n o a u no zzizesses:

Moses J. Moss, on NEW YORK. Y.

CLOTH STEAMING AND FOLDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters iat'ent.

Patented Nov. ac, 119M.

Appl cation. filed March 20, 1917. Serial No. 156,101.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mosns J. Moss, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth Steaming and Folding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to apparatus for sponging or steaming and refolding cloth, and are designed to, effect economy in the time and labor inv'olved,as well as a saving in floor space for a given capacity of work.

.The invention consists in the specific construction and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed, distinctive features being the positioning of duplex steaming cylinders the one above the other so that they may be alternately but continuously used for steaming the cloth in such manner that the latter may be transferred from said steam cylinders directly to the refolding mechanism, all as hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is a plan of apparatus embodying the essential features of my invention;

Fig. 2, is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3, is a vertical cross section taken upon plane of line 33, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4:, a vertical cross section upon plane of line 4-4, Fig. 1. 4

As is well known in the art twin steaming cylinders have heretofore been positioned side by side in horizontal relationship to each other, but have been operated independently. In other words their being mounted on a common frame, etc., has been merely a matter of convenience and economy of floor space, etc., and each has been operated separately, the steamed cloth from each being Wound by manual means onto a separate transfer spindle which was lifted and carried bodily to detached refolding mechanism constituting a separate unit in the system.

The main objects of my invention are, to effect the continuous but alternate operation of a plurality of correlated steaming cyl1n ders in such manner that the treated cloth can be unwound therefrom directly by and onto refolding and rewinding mechanism forming a component part of the apparatus as a whole, thus eliminating the transfer spools and the timeandlabor involved in their use, keeping the refolding and winding mechanism constantly employed, and attainthe maximum of work from the steammg cylinders, on one of which cloth can be wound and steamed while the finished cloth is unwound from the other by the refolding and rewinding mechanism.

To this end I arrange one steaming cylinder SQon a higher level than its companion cylinder S preferably (but not necessarily) in vertical alinement or substantially so, as shown in the drawings, so that both said steaming cylinders may take direct from the feed tension guide-rolls f, f, and both may feed direct to the tension roller 0, which dc livers the cloth to the table r, of the refolding and rewinding mechanism R, which latter is incorporated as a component part of theapparatus considered asa whole, and as treating the cloth continuously from the time it is fed to the steam cylinders until it is again wound in folded condition on a bolt boarder equivalent receiving spool 6, ready for the market or manufacturing purposes.

Thus the frame work 6, b, for the steaming mechanism S, and for therefoldi'ng and rewinding mechanism R, is supported upon a common baseB, and the apparatus is further incorporated in a unitary structure by the tension feed roller 1, and receiving table r, interposed directly between said steaming and refolding mechanisms.

Each peripherally perforated steaming cylinder S, S is rotatably mounted on a fixed hollow axle s, 8 through which steam is fed to the interior of said cylinder. Any of the steaming or refinishing cylinders known in the art may be used in this con nection, according to the treatment to be administered to the cloth,the steam in any case being injected through peripheral openings into the cloth wound around the cylinderina maimer well known in the art.

Thus in the drawings, the axle pipes s, 8 are mounted rigidly upon and between stationary parts 6, b, of the frame work Z), I), supported as aforesaid on the common base 13, and are supplied with steam by pipe connection 8 8, provided with valves 8 s ,the portion of each axial pi e within its cylinder being perforated to admit steam to the latter. Each cylinder S S carries rigidly attached to it a pulley s*, by which it may be independently rotated,-said pull-eyss 8', being" each connected bya' separate belt a, a, with a loose pulley d, on the driving shaft D, mounted in suitable bearings b 6 (see Fig. 3) on the frame Z), Z), of the base B, below the cloth steaming cylinders S, S

C, is a double-faced clutch splined' to the shaft D, to rotate therewith,each of its faces being serrated or otherwise formed for positive engagement with the correspondingly formed and adjacently opposed hub face of one of the pulleys d, (:3, so that the said pulleys (Z, d, may be alternately rotated by shifting the clutch C, which may be accomplished by the hand lever c, or equivalent mechanical expedient. Hence either of the cloth steaming cylinders S, or S may be separatelyrotated, but one only at a time, by positive means, for the purpose of winding the unfolded web of textile fabric to, thereon,said web w, (see F ig. 2) of cloth being fed to the receiving table 8 on its Way to the feed tension rollers f, 7", from a truck T, traveling on rails't, t, which insure the proper alinement of the web w, with relation to said'feed rollers f, f, and cloth steaming cylinders S, S

Power is borrowed from the driving shaft D, through the medium of the clutch C, and appropriate pulleys and belts to rotate each cloth steaming cylinder while the web of cloth w, is being wound thereon,the other cloth steaming cylinder meanwhile being loosely rotatable on its axis pipe. Thus, since a minute is ordinarily sufficient to efl'ectthe saturation of the cloth, the latter maybe steamed on, and withdrawn from. one'cloth steaming cylinder while a fresh bolt of cloth is being positively wound upon the other cloth steaming cylinder, thereby practically rendering the operation of the apparatus continuous.

The steamed cloth on thecylinder which is disengaged from the power mechanism is passed under the tension feed roller 7, over the guide table 7, and to the inclined fold bars r 1, through which it is threaded in the usual manner to and around the under side ofthe idler roller 1*, by which it is delivered to the receiving spool 6, (usually a flat cloth board) which is secured between suitable clutch mechanism which is rotatable by means well knownin the art,the power applied to effect the receiving spool e, being utilized to draw off the steamedcloth from either steam cylinder, and to refold and rewind such steamed cloth ready for commercial disposal or use.

I The positive rotation of the cloth board or receiving spool e, which is held between the usual clamps 7 is effected by suitable rotative mechanism, as by sprocket wheels T and chains 1", rfldriven from the power shaft 1, or by any other mechanical expedient, in a manner well known in the art.

, This utilization of the power required for refolding and rewinding the cloth is the essential, distinguishing and important feature of my invention, since I thereby economize power, time and labor,the tedious and laborious task of winding the cloth by hand from a cloth steaming cylinder. to a portable spindle, and lifting and transferring this portable spindle bodily from the steaming apparatus as an independent machine in.

the system to the refolding and rewinding machine as'another and distinct machine in the system of cloth finishing, being entirely eliminated. 'lVhen it is considered that .a

loaded transfer spindle such as heretofore used, requires the strength of two mento lift it from the steaming mechanism and position it in the refolding and rewinding V fact it dispenses entirely with one manipu lation of the cloth, and thereby shortens and cheapens the process of cloth finishing considered in its entirety, and renders the proc ess essentially continuous ina singleapparatus. I am thus enabled to'eflect a saving of two thirds of the time heretofore required to steam and rewind the cloth becausefrom the time of the start of the wind o-fthe cloth onto the steaming cylinder until the rewind on the receiving spool there is no rehandling thereof, nor delay in passing it continuously through myunitary apparatus.

Furthermore, by my combination-and arrangement of operative parts on one frame and base in compact form and relationship much economy is effected in floor space,-an item. of. great importance under ordinary conditions of use. r 7 What I claim as my invention and; desire to secure by Letters Patent is, I

1. In cloth steaming and folding apparae tus of the character designated, in combination, a plurality of rotatable cloth steaming cylinders arranged one above the other, and cloth refolding mechanism positioned and adapted. to unwind the steamed cloth from either of said cloth steaming cylinders and to refold the steamed cloth so unwound and rewind it in such folded condition onto a receiving spool andra receivingtable interposed directly between the steaming and refolding mechanisms whereby the treatment is continuous. V Y

2. In cloth steaming and folding appara: tus of the character designated, in combination, a plurality of rotatable cloth steaming cylinders arranged oneabove the other, feed tension rollers positioned to feed unfolded cloth to either of said cloth steaming cylinders, and cloth refolding mechanism positioned and adapted to unwind the steamed cloth from either of said cloth steaming cylinders and to refold the steamed cloth as unwound and rewind it in such folded condition onto a receiving spool and a receiving table interposed directly between the steaming and refolding mechanisms whereby the treatment is continuous.

3. In cloth steaming and folding apparatus of the character designated, in combination, two rotatable cloth steaming cylinders arranged one above the other, a pair of feed rollers positioned to feed unfolded cloth to either of said cloth steaming cylinders, and cloth refolding mechanism positioned and adapted to unwind the steamed cloth from either of said cloth steaming cylinders and to refold the cloth so unwound and rewind it onto a receiving spool and a receiving table interposed directly between the steaming and refolding mechanisms whereby the treatment is continuous.

4. In cloth steaming and folding apparatus, steaming mechanism embodying a plurality of steaming cylinders, cloth refolding mechanism, an interposed receiving table, and a tension roller interposed between the steaming mechanism and said receiving table and adapted to feed the steamed cloth from either of the cylinders of the steaming Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

mechanism to the cloth refolding mechanism.

5. In cloth steaming and folding apparatus, steaming mechanism embodying a plurality of steaming cylinders, cloth refolding mechanism, an interposed receiving table, a tension roller interposed between the steaming mechanism and said receiving table and adapted to feed the steamed cloth from either of the cylinders of the steaming mechanism to the cloth refolding mechanism, and inclined fold bars leading from said receiving table to deliver the steamed cloth to the receiving spool.

6. In cloth steaming and folding apparatus, steaming mechanism embodying a plurality of steaming cylinders, cloth refolding mechanism, an interposed receiving table, a tension roller interposed between the steaming mechanism and said receiving table and adapted to feed the steamed cloth from either of the cylinders of the steaming mechanism to the cloth refolding mechanism, in clined fold bars leading from said receiving table to deliver the steamed cloth to the receiving spool, and an idler roller interposed between said inclined fold bars and the receiving table.

MOSES J. MOSS. Witnesses:

Gno. WM. MIATT, DOROTHY MIATT.

Commissioner of Patents, 

